The list of Fouad Ahidar, who came second among Flemish voters in Brussels, raises questions about its success and the impact on the formation of a regional government. Political alliances find themselves divided in the face of this controversial personality.
In the Brussels region, the negotiations to form a government promise to be even more complicated. The leader of the Flemish liberals has ruled out any alliance with Fouad Ahidar despite the success of his independent list which created a surprise by arriving in second place among Flemish voters in Brussels.
We want to refuse capable people because they wear the veil.
With a list that bears his name like a standard, Fouad Ahidar managed to win three elected representatives to the Brussels parliament, a third of the Dutch-speaking linguistic group. Its success can be explained by its network of influence and its positions on subjects such as ritual slaughter and the veil. He explains : “We have the right to believe or not to believe. But as long as it is not banned or we can change the situation, we will push for that, period“. He adds : “We have people who are capable, we want to refuse it because they wear a headscarf, it’s still something that is illogical“.
Educated young girls who feel like they are being sidelined.
By capitalizing on social networks and identity issues, in particular the veil, Fouad Ahidar was able to appeal to a very specific electorate. “Educated young girls, who sometimes have the feeling of being sidelined, are today a fairly large and influential electorate who have an influence on peer networks.“, explains Hassan Bousetta, political scientist at the University of Liège.
His controversial positions
The carryover of numerous French-speaking votes into its electoral college partly explains its success. However, it is not certain that parties wish to ally with him, particularly following his statements on the October 7 attack in Israel: “What right does anyone have to tell me that I am an anti-Semite? But on the contrary, I felt angry about what was happening in Palestine, what was happening in Israel. There are things that don’t work. And I said indeed, if anyone mixed up my words or misunderstood, I apologized. I’m not going to repeat it 100 times“.
He recently declared in an interview that religion and politics should not necessarily be separated. “But if we do not separate religion and politics, then the door is open to all expressions of identity, including the risks of drift.“, says Hassan Bousetta, political scientist at the University of Liège.
Aware of his electoral weight, Fouad Ahidar now intends to launch lists in the municipal elections.
Brussels government Fouad Ahidar
